Description: A Vuvi ancestor (moghondzi) mask. Gabon, Central Africa. According to research such masks were used during bwete/bwiti initiation ceremonies for young people in the community. Wood, kaolin (representing Ngonde, the moon), and other pigments. The masks were also worn during Iboga ritual and trance divination. The first compulsory rite of passage, called the bwete disumba, or the classic bwete or Bwiti, consists of the drinking the concoction of the grated bark of the roots of the Iboga bush. This consumption of the sacred wood results in a temporary alteration of consciousness and hallucination that enables contact with the Great Beyond. During this ritual the public bwete events were spectacular. The masks would emerge from the obscurity of darkness to the blowing of horns, beating of drums, and the light cast by torch bearers announcing the return of the initiates from the bush. This mask measures 9.5 inches.
Price: 245 USD
Location: Quakertown, Pennsylvania
End Time: 2024-08-17T16:03:59.000Z
Shipping Cost: 0 USD
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Item Specifics
Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 14 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back
Color: Multi-Color
Original/Reproduction: Original
Material: Wood
Tribe: Vuvi
Maker: Vuvi people
